Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 119.djvu/3036

 119 STAT. 3018

PUBLIC LAW 109–162—JAN. 5, 2006 ‘‘(1) the former United States Advisory Board on Child Abuse suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country; ‘‘(2) studies suggest that as many as 10,000,000 children witness domestic violence every year; ‘‘(3) studies suggest that among children and teenagers, recent exposure to violence in the home was a significant factor in predicting a child’s violent behavior; ‘‘(4) a study by the Nurse-Family Partnership found that children whose parents did not participate in home visitation programs that provided coaching in parenting skills, advice and support, were almost 5 times more likely to be abused in their first 2 years of life; ‘‘(5) a child’s exposure to domestic violence seems to pose the greatest independent risk for being the victim of any act of partner violence as an adult; ‘‘(6) children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to believe that using violence is an effective means of getting one’s needs met and managing conflict in close relationships; ‘‘(7) children exposed to abusive parenting, harsh or erratic discipline, or domestic violence are at increased risk for juvenile crime; and ‘‘(8) in a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.

42 USC 14043d–1.

‘‘SEC. 41302. PURPOSE.

42 USC 14043d–2.

‘‘SEC. 41303. GRANTS TO ASSIST CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE.

‘‘The purpose of this subtitle is to— ‘‘(1) prevent crimes involving violence against women, children, and youth; ‘‘(2) increase the resources and services available to prevent violence against women, children, and youth; ‘‘(3) reduce the impact of exposure to violence in the lives of children and youth so that the intergenerational cycle of violence is interrupted; ‘‘(4) develop and implement education and services programs to prevent children in vulnerable families from becoming victims or perpetrators of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; ‘‘(5) promote programs to ensure that children and youth receive the assistance they need to end the cycle of violence and develop mutually respectful, nonviolent relationships; and ‘‘(6) encourage collaboration among community-based organizations and governmental agencies serving children and youth, providers of health and mental health services and providers of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim services to prevent violence against women and children.

‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, and in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, is authorized to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of mitigating the effects of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and

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